


A Jade Mirror

by EnidZsasz



Category: Kung Fu Panda - All Media Types, Reylo - Fandom, Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Kung Fu Panda - Freeform, Reylo - Freeform, Star Wars - Freeform, TFA - Freeform, tlj - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-03
Updated: 2018-09-04
Packaged: 2019-07-06 07:24:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15881331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EnidZsasz/pseuds/EnidZsasz
Summary: (Kung-Fu panda/Reylo crossover)Rey spent her life between starving, stealing, and watching the mysterious master Sky a crane that is said to be immortal. Never taking apprentices she is taken one day and while he is away meets with a equally mysterious person who is trapped within a mirror. Though there is more to this man then meets the eye she becomes something of a friend.





	1. Chapter 1

Every since she could remember she had been here. Had been training, fighting and learning by the harshest of masters. Starvation. The graceful crane stood before her and all the other villagers in the desert regarding them all. Legends told of the Walker of Skies that resided in the tall mountain the village sat on the feet of. An immortal warrior, one of the strongest there was but secretive only taking apprentices when one showed promise. Many would visit in hopes of being taken on, but all were turned back so far as she remembered. 

In the lee of the mountain there was never rain, scarcely a cloud that wasn't that of sand, and the villagers all were criminals, scum that could no longer live in the world of everyday people. Banished here under the watchful eyes of the red crowned crane Rey wasn't the only standout. There were several parents who decided criminals were the best bet to raise their children, but she was the youngest of those abandoned children. The Crane stood before her regarding her with a bit of a bent in his head staring languidly with only one bright blue eye.

"You leopard girl." he called and the villagers almost at once drew back and away from her. She felt a trail of panicked fear that she had done something wrong in his eyes. Did he know she stole food from the shipments to him? Did he know she snuck up the mountain on moonless nights to watch him and copy his moves as much as she could? She shivered, waiting for the reprimand. "What is your name kid?" he asked her.

"I... I don't have a name." she said, and blinked up towards to him she didn't meat his gaze just yet, it was a shame, everyone had a name. She only had the thing that most people called her by. "They call me Rey, like Rey of light."

"Why would that be, Rey?" He asked gravely.

"Because she steals things so fast that it is like a piercing ray of light!" Snickered one villager. The Crane turned away from her to regard the villager, then back to her, her tail twitched, swaying with shame.

"Ah, you must be the one stealing food from me." Her tail went straight betraying her. "Now come with me."

"Wait... what?"

"You need a teacher." The crane mused lightly, and with humor. Rey blinked after him as he lightly stepped away.

"What, do you think I didn't take notice? Come on now." She scrambled to her feet, as she numbly followed the Crane. He paused before the steps towards his home. "You make call me Master Sky."

"WHY? WHY me?" she asked him.

"Because why not? I could use a hand about the place, I'm getting old after all!" He called, and took off into the sky leaving her to climb the mountain to his home alone. A set of crates was left there, waiting for him to gather them, and since he didn't... She sighed, more of the same. Well, maybe this time she didn't have to feel guilty about 'stealing' the food. When she got to the top, he was waiting for her, and from his nod she saw that is what he wanted. She started back down to gather the rest of them, and steeled herself for a very long set of years under this dubious 'master sky'.

* * *

 

"You will live here," Master Sky told her as he waved a winged arm down a very vacant hall. She was the only one here, it promised to be as lonely as starvation. "You will not steal anything, I can provide you things." he told her. She held her head down in shame. 

"Yes sir." she mumbled, and tried not to feel dwarfed by the tall hallways and rooms he showed her. The training room, the kitchens, and a hall that unlike the rest was not lit by lanterns. 

"THOSE are my private rooms. You will not go there." he told her, she nodded. "Now, Rey, tomorrow we will begin our first set of training." she flinched and stared up at him. 

"I... you are really taking... me?" she asked softly. He chuckled, a warble of fairly inelegant sound. Rey bit back a grimace, as the only feline in the village and here she was never truly comfortable with others. The most 'comfortable' was Plutt, a great boar who ran the village when Master Sky didn't deign to visit. 

"Yes kid. Now, go get some sleep you'll have a busy day ahead of you." He guided her to a small room, but didn't help her pull out any blankets from a small storage closet, only left her alone. It was even worse that this place was deathly silent, she could hear everything, there was a distant sound of pacing, like someone caged behind bars pacing back and forth. The light mumble of voices, one harsh, and the other the tone of Master Sky's. But she ignored them, pulling up the unfamiliar blankets with their unfamiliar smells to herself. 

She shook, holding back a few sobs, she didn't know why she was crying. She didn't have words for the emotions she was feeling, none of them very good from the way they shook her body. But after a long while she passed out into darkness and dreams.

* * *

 The next morning would be her mornings for the next week. Running, lots and lots of running as Master Sky flew around her lazily. Why would one need to run? Rey wanted to ask, she wanted to demand it, but she didn't want to ruin this. She was being fed, she had a place where she wasn't expected to clean every bit of floor and more. Well, she frowned as she cleaned up a few pots from the meal last night. At least there were two others here, two very quiet rabbits, they took care of most of the chores. Or at least the chores she wasn't assigned to. "KID!" Master Sky called, Rey bent to her task trying to ignore him, he had told her to ignore everything to do the chores. 

"REY COME HERE NOW." Master Sky called again, this time voice hedging on irritation. He must be in a bad mood, why she didn't know. She was torn between the duty he assigned her to and obeying the call when he walked in and blinked. "Oh yes. I forgot I put you here." he said and she shifted uneasily. After a beat of silence she went back to scrubbing. "I'll be leaving for a week, you can take a break, though I suggest you don't stop training." he told her and she felt her tail twitch in irritation. What training was scrubbing pots and running around the mountain? 

"Yes Master Sky." she said only barely managing to keep the anger out of her voice. He smiled to her, and extended a wing out and patted her head. She flinched at the contact and after a awkward moment he pulled back. 

"Yes well, oh... hmmm... remember your training." he said, and left. Her sensitive ears waited until he was far enough away that she could let out a growl of frustration. He would be gone almost immediately, but since he hadn't dismissed her kitchen cleaning duty Rey continued cleaning, her back and arms feeling sore from the needed power of scrubbing. It was like no one had ever cleaned the pots and pans and it took hours each time to clean one. There were a LOT of them, more then needed. It appeared instead of cleaning everyone here actually just got knew ones. She sighed, taking a rusty pan into her paws and wondered if she could use it as a flower basin. There was a very nice frail flower she had found on a run the other day. 

She crept passed one of the rabbits currently sweeping the floor with a blank sort of expression. One of his ears twitched towards her, but she ignored him and went outside to fetch dirt, water, and then later the flower. She had to be careful, carrying the dirt one cup at a time to the pot that now sat on her windowsill. Anxiety filled her more and more the longer the task took, Master Sky had not FORBIDDEN her from personal objects, but never talked about it. She wanted to go back to go get her doll, but didn't want to ask. At any moment he might throw her away, so she suffered in anxiety and fear for every wrong step, or mistake. It was nearing nightfall when she was done, and set out with the small cup to find that flower. It was maybe two days from blooming, and she didn't want to miss it. 

* * *

 

Rey couldn't sleep, the empty halls, bereft of breathing, of any noise but the distant sound of pacing. In a way that constant sound was comforting, it let her know that she wasn't alone in this huge place. The two custodians lived in a small house away from the main building, leaving her unable to hear anything from them. With a sigh that promised a wholly sleepless night she turned to the little flower she found. The flowers hung on the spire like plant like grains, just waiting to bloom. She gave it a bit of water and went outside her room to fetch some more. Casting a wary glance down the corridor she was forbidden Rey slipped silently away into the kitchens. She wondered if Master Sky had lied to her, that he was up and pacing and not off somewhere else. Going by the corridor again she frowned, a peek couldn't hurt right?

Putting her cup of water away she snuck back to that forbidden corridor the sound of pacing only getting louder, careful on the wooden floors she paused at the only iron door in the place. It was sure to make a LOT of noise, but the pacing sound was just behind it, and she frowned. From the way the castle twisted this room would be just beyond the wall to her own room. No wonder she heard it so clearly at night. Carefully, she pulled at the latch, and slowly, very very slowly opened the door. Well oiled hinges made no terrifying squeak and she could peek into the room. Darkness, almost complete darkness. It was odd, the high inset windows cast the soft glow of the moon into the corridor. Every room had a window, but this one had nothing. Only opening the door enough to allow her passage she slipped in and paused just inside the door. The pacing stopped, but she quickly dived into a silent roll away from the light, not knowing exactly why she did that. 

"Come to taunt me again?" called a growling voice. It was a deep sort of voice that without the growl on each word might be a bit musical. "SKYWALKER!" the voice yelled only to echo in the room. Rey pushed herself onto a iron plated wall, and stayed silent. She controlled her breathing by the barest of margins but her heart gave a very uncomfortable rush of almost unfelt beats. Whoever it was in the darkness was silent now, the pacing was gone, replaced by a wary set of steps back and forth from maybe a few yards ahead of her."I heard someone else in the house...." the voice began, this time a bit softer. "Light steps, are you a child?" Rey flinched, and lept out and away from the wall as one of the metal plates came crashing to the floor. The sound echoed painfully in the room and she could only just barely hear a ruthless chuckle. 

"I.... I AM A VERY SCARY PERSON." Rey hedged, voice shaky and moving in and out of a mimkery of Plutt's voice. That chuckle moved into a laugh, that actually sounded warm. 

"I'm sure you are, can you put the lamp on?" Rey shifted uneasily. "To the left of the room from the door. Follow along the wall until you find a table, on it is a lamp. Lite it, please." She shifted again, but curiosity burned into her body from the lack of anything truly terrible happening. No rabbit guards, no Master Sky running in upset. "You'll need it to fix that shield that fell." he scolded gently, Rey flinched and rushed towards the wall, and complied. Finding a low table, a bit of fumbling and she found a oil lamp and a tinderbox. It only took one strike to light the lamp, casting the room into dull darting shadows. Weapons and shields of all kinds lined the room, she had mistaken iron plates for a series of shields. "You really are a kid?" the voice behind her asked and she jumped, thankful she still held onto the fire striker and not the oil lamp. When she entered she had brushed by a long shield curved in to shield the body, just placed loosely against the wall, she picked it up and set it back aright. "Not much of a talker?" he voice called. 

"I... I... who are you?" she asked the voice and grabbed the oil lamp, turning towards it. Something distant reflected far to brightly. All the shields behind her were painted, showing only the slightest glints of metal, but this was huge. 

"I think I should ask you first, after all you did barge in here. Where is Master Sky?" Rey looked down to the ground quickly shifting uneasily at the mention of her 'master'. 

"PLEASE DON'T TELL HIM I WAS HERE!" She yelped when her voice rose a bit too much from the hushed whisper. 

"Oh don't worry, if he still has those two rabbits one is deaf the other is blind, they won't hear or see you here. Believe me, I know." she eased out a wary breath. "I'm Kylo Ren, what is your name kiddo?" he asked, she scowled towards the voice trying to gain bravery enough to dart forwards. Master Sky evidently had some kind of truly evil villain here. Or... something right? She asked herself shaking. 

"Re...re...rrey." she said lowly. There was the light sound, this person must be sitting down, nothing more then the light creak of metal. 

"Rey, hmm... no other name?" he asked. 

"No.....no one gave me any other name." she said and winched at the shame of not even having a true name for herself. 

"I think it is a good name to have. Simple." she breathed in a pleased hiss, and started forwards only to meet herself. Literally meet herself, there was a huge mirror that ran along the other side of the room. From wall to wall, only ending with thick jade frames covered in some kind of reliefs. "Up." the voice admonished. She glanced up, and hard to squint to see the figure in the mirror. It was like he was there and not there. A feline figure sitting on the distant reflection of the table. She glanced back, but he wasn't there and slowly turned back to see his very amused snarl. 

A black furred leopard, spots barely hinted at under his robes. With green eyes that flashed and glowed in the dark like a real living creature. In some places she could barely see where the robes began and his fur started, he wore all black, and she could only think that if she had a outfit like that she could most definitely have a somewhat easier time stealing food or... her tail twitched. Money. The concept didn't elude her, but she never laid a paw on any type of money. The village bartered mostly, trading work for food or booze, or anything else someone wanted. He chuckled a hissing sort of noise and Rey joined in, relaxing to a now familiar sort of countenance. "Here I thought I would be left alone all week." he said causally. 

"Are you a ghost?" she asked and he looked thoughtful. "Demon?" her heart gave an uneasy lurch. She really shouldn't be here. Just how was she going to get the oil to replace what she was currently burning? "Why are you IN the mirror?" 

"You are quick aren't you?" he replied and got off the table. While in the mirror objects moved, the real table behind her stayed still. She bristled a bit. 

"I'm not stupid!" she snapped. 

"I didn't say you were. The last time someone new came in here they left screaming." she blinked. 

"I'm not a coward either!" she hedged bravely standing as tall as she could manage. 

"Very good, now, why don't you get back to bed? We can talk more tomorrow." she gave him a confused look. But his ears twitched, and she turned towards the noise. One of the caretakers was making a nightly round. "The blind one." he hissed lowly, and beckoned her closer to him. Rey gave him an uneasy look. "I can give you some cover for noise, but you have to be quiet, otherwise he will suspect you are out of bed." She nodded. "Good, blow out the lamp and head back, I trust you know the way?" 

"Y...yes." she mumbled as quietly as she could. 

"Good, go." Rey darted to the table setting the lamp down and slipped through the crack just as the strange man began roaring. She had to put a paw over her face, a great many swears and expletives, stifling a giggle she dodged the guard, just as she shut the door. Freezing still and not even daring to breathe. He didn't even seem to notice her as he quickly pulled open the door and started to yell something back. Rey didn't much care for what, she quickly was out and away back to her room. Dragging her blankets back over her she waited until the noises stopped to calm herself. She wasn't found out, she found something well and truly magical and acted bravely. Hiking her chin up Rey settled into bed and fell into a set of dreams of her flitting around the shadows silently never making a noise in the constant whine of cicadas. 

* * *

 

She woke far happier then she had been in those short days. Master Sky was forgetful, and distant, which left a strange hollowness to her. She almost preferred the rough cajoling of the villagers, he was so distant it had come of a shock that he had patted her head. Rey sighed, going to get ready for the day and her morning run. She played with a hole in her clothes, she didn't have a sewing kit, and was not going to go looking for it. Not now, not while the two caretakers were roaming about the place. Rey cast a glance to her flower, and marveled a bit at the little flower starting to peek out. There were no flowers below, here while the vegetation was sparse it still held lovely things. She put a paw out and tapped a tree as she went past it, it was more of a marker, a set of characters was drawn on it, but she made her way up and then down the mountain top, curving around the three mile run to a heavy pant. She had to recover herself and do it twice more, she frowned at the tree and the characters copying them down in her mind. 

Rey didn't know how to read, or how to write, but she could memorize characters, its how she knew which ones were best to steal-Rey shook her head and started running, passing the caretakers watching her, she patted the tree again, and instead of pausing for a moment decided to push herself despite the growing stitch in her side. It was only when she found herself leaning heavily on the tree did she somewhat regret the action. Panting, and shaking Rey gasped, trying to control her breathing. She wondered what the characters could mean, but she didn't have anyone to ask who could actually respond. Then, shame filling her at her lack of education, she didn't dare to ask Master Sky when he came back. A tiny part of her wondering if he chose such a person so that she couldn't go in and read secret scrolls. 

Back to scrubbing Rey set to work, using a harsh volcanic stone to get off larger bits, to then soak on a great fire to work on another. It was only when her stomach rumbled did she realize she had forgotten to eat breakfast. But, from the lack of dishes, the caretakers likely didn't make her breakfast. Setting one of the new pots she had cleaned Rey frowned trying to piece together how to at least make some rice. She put the grains into a pot of water and set it over a fire to cook, watching it with hungry eyes. They danced over various other things, but she shifted uneasily and didn't even reach out for anything. Just stuck to rice, she didn't know if she was allowed anything else. Rice was n abundance, and she could easily make some. While it was very watery, and burnt on the bottom, she wasn't about to argue eating the rice until she felt full. She cleaned that pot setting back to work. It was five pots later, that she peeled herself away hungry again, but ignored the crawling her in her stomach, night was falling and soon she could sneak out towards that strange person. 

* * *

 Rey pulled open the door, and shut it behind her since she could actually open it from this side, she quickly lit the oil lamp and grinned up at the strange man Kylo Ren as he nodded a bit. He seemed a bit more at peace, she hadn't noticed him pacing all day, but then again she could have just been so busy she hadn't noticed it. "So, why are you here?" he asked her, she shifted a bit, setting the oil lamp down near the mirror so that it could reflect the light setting the entire room into a dull flicker.

"Mater Sky... he said I needed a teacher." she hedged carefully. He nodded and smiled to her. "Why are YOU..." she dropped off, and glanced down unsure how to ask the question on her lips. 

"Trapped? I was a very bad person." he told her blandly. She lept backwards into a wary crouch. "Or so Master Sky thought, I am here, it doesn't matter why anymore." she wavered a bit, but glanced up at him. 

"So you're not a demon?" she asked and he laughed, she joined in still a bit wary. 

"Tell me, what are the words over here?" he asked her pointing towards one of the jade frames. Rey frowned, and he stilled, a very quick angry look passed his features. "You can't read." he stated. 

"No..." she whispered in shame. 

"How old are you?" he asked softly. 

"Seven? Plutt said I'm seven." Ren nodded, and paced back and forth into the room. 

"Go get ink, pens, water, and paper. I'll teach you how to read and write." he told her. She straightened herself up in shock. "Master Sky probably assumes you know how, I'm not about that assumption. After that, you can read me what's on the pillars yes?" she grinned and nodded furiously running out and gathering the needed objects, she frowned when her stomach gave a painful cramp in hunger. It was a fairly quick decision, but she grabbed a small box of fruits, hoping no one would notice it missing. She set everything down in the room, and Ren blinked. 

"Can...can you eat?" she asked, and pushed the box flush with the mirror taking one of the peaches for herself and eating it with one hand as she prepared the ink and paper. He frowned, but she noted he could take one of the fruits, and quickly ate it, the fruit in the box vanished, while it hadn't moved when he grabbed it, it vanished. Her mind whirled with the magic that could do such a thing, the pit from the peach, dropped into the box as he let it go. 

"Thank you." he told her, and she brightened, pushing the papers towards the mirror and sitting down on the wooden floor leg bouncing eagerly. "Now, to start..." he wrote down a set of characters, one of them very familiar. "This is my name." he held up the paper showing the vary familiar character from the tree. "THIS." he pointed to a simple character. "Is yours." copy it down. Rey frowned shaking a bit, it took several tries to get it right, but she soon had a copy of the characters. "Good." he praised. "Now lets learn some other things, after we are done you'll use tomorrow to write down a set of characters I supply and return." he told her. She nodded quickly complying with whatever Ren wanted. He was quick to praise her progress, it was more of just learning what the characters said and associating them with the words already in her head. 

"THANK YOU!" she called in a harsh whisper as she left, leaving Ren alone in the mirror, dizzy with the knowledge in her head. She could barely sleep with all the new things floating in her head she couldn't wait till tomorrow to learn even more. The caretakers, gave her a contemptuous look as she carefully followed a set of simple instructions Ren had her write down. He had told her how to properly make rice! She had to write down her daily routine, and did so quickly in the morning light as she cooked rice. Getting a bit more brave she gnawed on the end of a onion, there were no knives readily available, placed high above her head. She wondered, as she ate some rice, setting some aside for Ren, if he could teach her to cook as well. It appeared that while Master Sky was out the two rabbits were not going to even give her more then a passing glance. Rey wondered what she did to anger them, but didn't dwell on it much. After cleaning the pots, Rey feinted going outside for a wander and picnic, instead doubling back into the forbidden hall. She proudly set the large bowl of rice and utensils in front of the mirror. 

"Pretty good, its still a bit watery." he told her, and she beamed at the praise. He ate as she showed what he asked her to do, drawing a map of the mountain, writing down her day, and setting to copying down what was on the frames to show him Ren told her how to make some other things for food. 

"I've... never really fought..." she admitted carefully, as he described how to slice up vegetables. He blinked, but nodded more sagely then Master Sky could. 

"That's fine, you're young, you'll learn. Here, clear up some space, I'll show you a few moves." she grinned quickly following what he wanted, and stood shaking with excitement. "First, we bow." she gave him a look, but copied his moves as he bowed, it was odd, she had to keep him in her side vision. "Good, good good. Now, punch." she gave him a look. 

"I...I can't hurt you can I?" she asked warily. He hissed out another laugh. 

"No. You can't, even if you tried." she nodded, and punched out, for a brief second she could feel like she hit something, but he had drawn back and away. "Bad form, here like this." he made a slight pose, and she copied him. "Good, now, punch." she did so, overbalancing a bit from the pose and skidding. "Better," he praised. It was nearly daybreak when Rey finally realized, panting that she had spent the entire afternoon and night here. There WERE windows in this room, but they were just slivers, and well shuttered. She only knew it was daybreak from the sound of birds coming awake and chirping. "You best get some sleep, you are making a lot of progress." She grinned, gathering up her things and setting the room aright like she had never been there. 

* * *

A few days later Rey gnawed on her lip, Master Sky was going to be back today, and she didn't want to stop visiting Ren. He slowly looked over the copies of all the symbols on the jade frames, frowning at some of her handwriting. "This will be very good. You'll need a bell and a knife." he told her, while she was a bit scared of knives, he had helped her to start slicing things to cook and eat. She was gaining confidence slowly but surely. 

"Why... why do I need a bell?" she asked. 

"To..." he paused looking over at her. "To get me out of the mirror." her heart gave an uneasy lurch. 

"I... I don't... I don't... know." she shifted uneasy. It was one thing to learn things, and another to release something she didn't even really know about. That sort of hollow feeling in her had been gone in the past week, and she didn't exactly know what to do. "Should... I should ask Master Sky." he growled, anger flashing in his eyes. 

"HE is the one who put me in here." Ren reminded her. She shivered, looking away from him and down. "I'm sorry, I should push." he told her quietly. "I just want to see my family again." she turned back to him. 

"What are your parents like?" she asked him, he frowned but leaned up against a bare spot in the wall, Rey went through a small series of stretches waiting for him to teach her another set of moves. 

"Distant," he said finally almost making her jump. "Do you not have parents?" he asked she shook her head. 

"They just... they said they'll come back for me....I think." she replied lowly. He nodded not pushing the issue. "H...why are you in...there?" she asked him. 

"Because I was bad. VERY bad person. I killed a lot of people Rey." he told her honestly. She flinched, but didn't run. "So I was put in here because I tried to kill Master Sky, he was my master too." Now she stilled looking to him with wide eyes. Oh she was scared just a little, but he couldn't hurt her so he said and proved the other day. "grab that staff." he pointed to one, and she with a bit of a work grabbed a heavy metal staff off the wall. He grabbed another one and bowed, she copied him. "Now lets learn a few actual attacks." he soothed, and she quickly went to work, copying him, blindly parrying and hitting a distant target. They couldn't 'meet' as it were, but they could come close and she could get the 'feel' of where his staff was and hers was. Her arms didn't ache that much, after spending days scrubbing pots, and carrying them around to the back stacking them up to sell, or smelt down what have you her muscles were growing stronger. 

"Good, clean up and get out, the next time Master Sky is gone come back to train. Keep up with those moves." he dismissed. Rey frowned, and did so. There was a hollow feeling in her again, but she went to a store room setting the ink, paper and pens back into the place. In the store room was a bell... she shook a bit as she grabbed it, and went to the kitchen. Climbing was easy, and she got down a small knife. Dodging past one of the caretakers doing a nightly round, she snuck back into the room, carefully refilling and setting the oil lamp back to how it was when she first discovered this place. However, the new wick would need to be... she snapped the lamp on. 

"Ho...How do I... help you?" she asked carefully. Ren perked up, glancing down at the bell and knife. 

"You need to draw a circle in blood on the mirror, then ring the bell in that circle four times." he told her quickly, Rey shifted uneasily. 

"Are you still a bad person?" she asked, he stayed silent. 

"Yes I am." she flinched at his statement. "I want out to kill Master Sky." 

"You... shouldn't hurt people!" she tried to scold but he laughed. 

"He is a bad person too, he was the first to try to kill me. He tried telling me he was sorry a thousand times, but he never meant it." Rey gulped fear gripping her at that statement. She went to the mirror, and cut a tiny slice into a digit, Ren watched her avidly as she painted a circle into the surface, it was a bit wonky, but she sucked at the digit as she stepped back. "Good." he told her. Rey shivered a bit and moved a bit further back so the bell could be wholly in the circle as she rung it. 

She opened her mouth to speak, but closed it, and rung the bell. The sound cascaded outwards, shivering the air and almost shaking her whole arm. There was a crack like the mountain itself was breaking, but it was just a crazed crack that shivered across the mirror. She rung the bell again, the sound of the bell overrode her senses, there was another crack, a silvered piece of glass broke off landing down on the ground. In the short time between the next ring she heard a frantic distant voice, but she rung the bell again. The glass went entirely black, she got the briefest look of a snarl of a smile before it did. 

"REY NO!" Shouted Master Sky, just as she brought the bell down the final time. There was an explosion, and Rey blacked out. 

* * *

 

She woke body aching, and blinked up at the roof of her room. There was a steady breathing beside her and she glanced to it to see Master Sky swathed in still bloodied bandages. Sudden fear made her heart spiral upwards and he stirred, a sad expression on his face. "Do you know what you've done?" he asked her, voice quite hoarse. "No... of course not." he said and shook his head sadly, standing up Rey realized he no longer had a wing. "You released a demon. I should have... I should have warned you." he told mostly himself. Rey gasped trying to control her breathing. 

"Imsosorryimsorryimsorry." she rushed and he held up his one wing to silence her, gaze harsh. She flinched and looked down, she wasn't covered in any small cuts, only one on her upper arm. She blinked up at Master Sky, and realized that he might have shielded her when the glass fractured outwards. 

"You..." he hedged and sighed. "you didn't know any better." he soothed. "Once I am recovered you are going to have to learn how to... kill him. Or contain." he told her. She pushed herself up. "I should have told you, but I thought you were smart enough not to go places you shouldn't go." the last bit was dark with some fury. Rey was left utterly speechless as Master Sky limped out of her room leaving her alone. She was left feeling that hollow sort of feeling again, and quietly turned to her low pillow and sobbed. She woke hours later at night, something had crept into her room and she flinched, throwing the pillow to the hunched figure. Ren caught her pillow easily she shivered in terror staring at him. 

"Don't be scarred of me, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm here to offer you more teaching." he told her quietly, ears flicking back. 

"You!...." she began but snapped her jaw shut with a audible crack. 

"Almost killed Master Sky?" he questioned. She tilted her head forwards in just the barest hint of a nod. "I didn't try... I wanted to HURT him. Not kill him. Now he'll never fly again." He seemed smug about that Rey took a deep breath ready to let out a scream but he held up a large pawed hand. "Do you WANT me to kill him? If you scream I will." she let out the breath quickly and he chuckled. 

"What... what are you doing? Are you going to hurt me?" she had several other questions on her tongue but that was all that was able to come out around her fear twisted tongue. He relaxed against the wall far to causally. 

"No, you need a teacher Rey. Someone who can appreciate you, and your talents." he soothed gently. "You're quiet, you'd make a great Shadow." she blinked to him as he grinned to her. "It is what I was when I left Skywalker. I joined them because they wanted me, he didn't anymore. He wont like you. You have too much anger, much like me." she panted unable to form words. 

"But... what... what anger?" she asked and blinked. Oh she was frustrated, but angry? No of course not! She... Rey frowned, that hollow sort of feeling returned, and now she had a word to put it to. Anger. Anger and lonliness. 

"See? Anger, I can see it in your tail Rey." she grabbed the end of her tail and despite the slight pain held it in her paw crossing her arms across her chest. 

"You tried to kill me!" she accused. He shook his head his expression sympathetic, she flinched when he walked towards her and she was too paralyzed by fear to move as he examined the cut on her upper arm. 

"I didn't know the mirror would do that, otherwise I would have told you to hide behind a shield." he told her gently, and sat her on the end of her bed. 

"LIAR!" she hissed harshly, and he took a breath in a short chuckle. 

"Call me what you will, but I want to train you. I want to make you stronger Rey. There wont be ANYONE who could hold you back if you come with me." He crouched down in front of her holding out his large paw. She stared at it shifting uneasily, Master Sky wasn't exactly unkind, but she couldn't make herself move, either to cry for help, or to take the paw before her. "I wont make you choose." he told her, and stood, going towards the door in a very silent motion. "Should you decide to tire of Skywalker, I'll be in the forest of Twilight waiting." he was gone, and Rey was left unable to speak and move body trembling. She wanted to go with him, but she felt too frozen by the millions of unknowns. 

"Rey?" called Master Sky as he came back in, now with fresh bandages. 

"YES!" she called and jolted to standing up. 

"You will obey every word I say from now on." he told her simply, and left her again all alone. She shivered new tears forming into her eyes, but she still couldn't make herself leave the bed she was on. That hollow feeling of anger burned in her, tail twitching behind her in quick rapid movements. She was going to give Master Sky a few days, until he was healed from his wounds, then she would see how she felt. She just needed more knowledge, and that took time, and she still had time. 


	2. Twilight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey Traveled with Master Sky to a old Kingdom to meet with a King and Queen there. Where a great forest sits around the castle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rey is a clouded Leopard, just saying now, while Ren, and his parents are both more common leopard species. Luke is a red crowned crane, they are a symbol of immortality, so luke is in the area of being 'uncle' without being related.

**Six Months Later**

* * *

 

Rey tried to look up at the guards that flanked the entrance of the castle, but she held her head down as they cast a far to wary glance at her. The two rhino's even went so far as to start towards her but Master Sky sitting on a cargo train that held all the contents of his home, shook his head. "She is with me." he stated flatly. She shuddered but walked with the cargo train into the thickly walled city that they were before. All kinds of people lined the wall, all with bows, and short weapons always at the ready, she numbly reached out and held onto the end of a small rope trying not to think about the long days behind her.

Once Master Sky had recovered, he had sent word out somewhere and not two days later a bunch of wagons arrived at the foot of the mountain and a bunch of pigs had swarmed the place, taking everything. Rey was left with nothing to do besides what she was told to do, and no one had told her to do anything. So she did what she usually did, this time just running around that mountain trail. Her little flower died and was unceremoniously thrown away along with that tiny pot, Master Sky and the caretakers were too busy with the loading that no one seemed to care that she wasn't around. It wasn't until they all set down towards the mountain that Master Sky called for her and ordered her to march along side the head wagon. 

She hadn't really been taught anything, but at night so long as the moon was bright enough puzzled through some small scrolls, it was hard, most of the words she didn't know, but she could very slowly paw through them and try to keep learning. She didn't dare bring up to Master Sky that she could barely read, if only because it was another shame piled onto her. No one spoke about what she did, and in some small way Rey only went through those scrolls looking for answers, but if they held any, she couldn't understand them. 

Ducking her head tucking her chin close to her chest, ignoring the harsh whispers of all the towns people. "the demon was released!-Master Sky is crippled!-oh god the demon is back!" she held back sobs of shame by the barest of margins. All of them were scared, and it was all her fault. 

"Rey, get in the wagon." Master Sky told her harshly, one of the first words he had spoken to her in the past week. She complied quickly, settling herself between to large stacks of pots hugging her knees to herself. There was a low rumble, they were crossing a bridge, but she could ignore all the chattering of the people in the city. Holding herself Rey only snapped up when the wagons rolled to a stop. 

"MASTER SKYWALKER!" Called a female voice, clear and loud. "You didn't encounter any trouble I hope!" 

"Nope, no trouble Leia." Master Sky replied easily. "REY OUT." he clipped, and Slowly, Rey crept out still not looking up. She focused on the large stones that made up the ground, fitted together tightly, each one fully as large as the wagon she stood by. 

"Who is she?" this Leia called, Rey wanted to glance up, but only heard some light shuffling, Leia was walking towards her. 

"That discussion has to be held in private Leia." Master Sky told her, and that stalled the female. 

"Yes of course! Come along you must be so tired!" Master Sky sighed, and left Rey to stand idly by the wagons as a swarm of servants rushed in and set to unpacking everything. Rey wanted to wait, to be told what to do, but she was getting in the way so she slowly walked into the great stone castle following Master Sky. She could pick up his scent fairly easily among the others and followed it hoping this was what he wanted her to do. She flinched away from one duck who ran quickly by her, he cast her a sidelong glance, but kept running away. Rey stopped and slid down against the wall just outside the room he was in and waited. Her stomach roiled painfully in hunger and she was very much thirsty but all of that didn't matter.

Rey was nearly falling asleep when someone was standing in front of her, for a panicked moment she thought it must be Kylo Ren, but she stared up at a slightly older couple. Both canines, one a fox, the other more wolf like. "Who are you?" the wolf asked her, the fox girl hid behind the wolf. Rey grimaced, flicking an ear to the still mumbling voices in the room behind her. 

"I'm... I'm Rey." she said lowly. The fox girl brightened. 

"HEY! We were told to find you! Come on!" she dodged passed the wolf and grabbed Rey's paw before Rey could dodge. 

"Rose!" the wolf whined and the fox paused. "Finn." he pointed to himself. "Rose." he pointed to the fox. Rey took the moment to snap her paw back to herself. "Sorry, but we are to take you to get food." he told her seriously. Rey only blinked and followed the two as they guided her towards the busy kitchens. Lots of smells assaulted her, and she could only try to keep herself from being overwhelmed as the orderly cook, a large bear growled orders to a swarm of various others. 

Rose rushed passed easily dodging through the swarm grabbing a tray of food and swirling easily out. The bear noticed and roared at them, Rey flinched, and the bear blinked, and seemed to relax at something. "Get out of my kitchen!" the bear scolded and Rey numbly complied following the two. Finn watched the exchange watching her and Rey wanted to react proudly. Hike her head up, but couldn't so much as rise her chin from her chest. They stopped in a fairly busy sort of luncheon room. Several servants say complaining, and gossiping on a low bench, Rose and Finn flanked Rey as they sat down on a bare spot and set down to eat. She barely tasted the greens, tofu, and plain noodle soup provided to her, barely gnawed at the sweet bean bun Rose handed to her. 

"Are you okay?" Finn asked lowly as servants piled out to do their duty of running food to whatever gathering was there. Rey nodded, but shivered a bit. She was not going to unburden her troubles on another. "Well, come on, we're to watch you. You can train with us!" he said brightly. Rey perked up and he gave a nervous laugh. 

"I...I can't." Rey hedged carefully, and Finn shifted. 

"Why not?" Rose asked her. 

"Master Sky didn't say I could." Rey told them and the two laughed. 

"He was the one who told us to find you! Come on!" Rose took her paw again, and Rey snatched it back following them instead of being led away towards what looked like a large open area. A few guards fired a series of arrows at a target, but otherwise didn't pay attention to the group of children. Rey brightened as the three 'trained'. Nothing more then she already learned, but they evidently fumbled a bit. Rey gnawed on her lip shifting uneasily as the two tried to do a series of simple punches. 

"I... here." Rey made the series of punches Ren had taught her. The two brightened, and started to copy her. It took her a few moments to correct their stances, but they didn't make as much progress as Rey did. A few guards cast her a glance, but did nothing else but continue their regimen. Rey shifted as one moved towards them, another leopard like her, watching them carefully. 

"So, you are the apprentice?" He asked and the two snapped into a low bow, Rey looked to them in confusion and the man chuckled. "I'm Han, the king I guess." Rey bowed before him in a snap and he shook his head. "None of that now. I was just wondering if Master Sky was really teaching you?" he questioned. Rey flinched, but stayed silent. 

"He... he is teaching me." she said carefully and towards the ground. Han nodded and bent down putting a large paw on her shoulder making her look up at him. He looked like a gristled sort of warrior, a few scars dotted his face, but otherwise he was much older then her. He was dressed simply, like any other guard, not like a king should be. 

"Its okay, I know, would you talk with me?" he asked her, guiding her towards a quiet spot, her two new friends gaped, but otherwise shuffled off and away. Han regarded her but she kicked at a small pebble in the hard packed dirt. "So, you broke the mirror?" he asked her she flinched. 

"Y...yyyes." she stuttered out. 

"That's good." she jerked her head to him and he smiled to her. "I never thought it was a good idea, but Master Sky said that if he found inner peace that he could be a good kid. That's why he trapped him, but that isn't a good way to gain inner peace." Rey gave him a confused sort of look. 

"I... I don't understand." she replied carefully, and shakily. 

"I suppose not, you're just a kid." Han moved away from her and stalled a bit. "There are a lot of fun stores in the library, you should take time to read them. Plenty of them are about Master Skywalker." Rey shivered a bit. 

"I don.... I can't read well." she said quickly to his retreating back, the turned to her and blinked. His expression was sympathetic and he went down on a knee before her. 

"That's okay, I'll see that you get some lessons...Master Skywalker doesn't know?" he asked she shook her head and he nodded. She didn't flinch when he put his large paw on her shoulder. "Who taught you what you know?" he asked softly, she frowned. "oh... so that is how it happened." She shifted uneasily, but he chuckled easing away the anxiety in her. 

"He... he was nice to me." she said softly. "No one was really nice to me." 

"I see, well, plenty of nice people here!" he told her and stood, smiling down at her. "I'll see to it that you learn how to read and write don't worry kiddo." he told her and she blinked up at him. While the voices were different she couldn't help but feel some familiarity between Han and Ren. But didn't press the issue as he left her there, now alone in the chilling air. The two descended onto her chatting to fast for her to understand, before they calmed themselves. 

"BY THE GODS you talked with HAN!" Finn said clearly finally calming down. 

"That is amazing!" Rose supplied in turn, Rey shifted awkwardly her stomach growled, but she ignored it. There was a loud bell tone, and several guards began scrambling utterly at the ready. Finn and Rose quickly grabbed her and ushered her into the main castle, and then to a small bunk area. Several other kids were here, and she figured they were the children of servants or something similiar. But they all waited, one guard, a lion, paced in and stood at the ready in the door. 

"What's... what is happening?" Rey asked lowly. Finn looked to her, and rolled his eyes. 

"Just another dumb attack from the people in the forest." he told her. "they never make it pass the guards." Rey nodded waiting for more, but he wasn't forth coming. 

"What... people? Forest?" she questioned, and everyone swiveled to her. She flushed in shame, looking to the ground. 

"Oh, the forest is called the Twilight forest!" it took all of her control not to flinch when Rose told her that. "The people there are all assassins." she yelped disdainfully. "Absolute scum if you ask me." Rey's heart beat quickly, but she wasn't exactly afraid. 

"Yeah!" courted the rest of the kids, babbling eagerly of their neighbors transgressions. As they spoke, Rey got the impression it was all like ghost stories, or stories children were told to keep from wandering too far. She was told such things, but being told 'don't steal or the demons will kill you' didn't stick much well for one starving. And the 'wander to far and the demons will kidnap you and eat you' didn't hold well when you lived in a desert which would kill you before you wandered to far away. Rey shook herself, and listened carefully to all the stories, fantastical about the "Shadow Demons" kidnapping naughty children to make into monsters. After a long time, the guard paced away without a word leaving the kids to rush out to go get dinner, Rey hanged back despite being hungry. 

She shifted into a small storage room to let herself think, she was close to this forest Ren told her to go to. She shook, desperately wanting to go, but she only looked around the chests stacked around in the room. A soft sort of noise made her flick her eyes up and through a small window slipped a lithe sort of form. A small rabbit, black furred and dressed in black, it regarded her with dark eyes and handed her a small slip of paper with her name written on it, before slipping back out from a small window. Without a word she slipped the paper into her clothes and went to go find Finn and Rose mainly to get food. While anxiety made it difficult to eat, a very kindly ox lady made her some ginger tea urging her to drink it, it settled her stomach enough to stop her from wanting to puke. Not that Rey would, starvation made it difficult to hack up anything, even moldy food. 

* * *

At night finally Rey slipped out to read that thing the rabbit had given her, and held up up to the frail light coming out of the window in the children's bunk room. In very elegant, that much was certain compared to her own scrawl, it said she was invited to visit the...she frowned over the word she didn't really know, in the forest. Scrawled on the bottom was a seal of some sort and Ren's name by it. The seal was made from a rust brown sort of color, and she got a sick sort of feeling looking at it, and sniffed the long dried smell of blood. She frowned at it, eyes darting out into the castle structure. Guards roamed about like a nest of ants. She silently padded to her bed pausing before it, she had met some nice people, but she breathed out a harsh breath. Shakily, she crept out, slipping out from the window and started out towards the city edge and the forest that lined around this walled city. 

She dodged passed guards easily, hiding in small spaces that they didn't look, it didn't much matter that her clothes were a dull grey, that only seemed to blend her into the shadows of the granite walls, not to mention her dark gray slightly ocher fur. Before she even know it, she was padding softly in the undergrowth, nose twitching that the trail remains of the the rabbit from before. Thinking it best to follow the messenger she did so, sometimes agonizingly slow as more guards patrolled in the city outskirts. They had bullet eye lanterns, and their eyes were wide and unclouded from the light blindness normal lanterns cast. Once they passed, Rey darted on all fours, stopping only to pant quietly just inside the thick treeline. Interspersed between the birch trunks were tall bamboo stalks, some thicker then her whole body, the trees stretched upwards but she ignored the height to follow the scent of the rabbit. 

Rey encountered however some problem not that far in, the rabbit's scent vanished, so she carefully looked to the ground nose a bare inch from it, and saw footprints. Her eyes darted up, and shakily she stood looking up at the tree. She sniffed at the smooth bark, and found the rabbit had used it, she hooked her claws into the bark and carefully with shaking arms pulled herself up the tree to the first thick branch. But the scent still wasn't there and she gave a confused sort of look around, then blinked. The rabbit had jumped onto the tree, and used it as a sort of spring board to cut off a portion of her trail. Rey could see a small spot where something had tramped down a small section of grass trying to grow in a small light spot. She stood up on the branch and looked out to the next tree, it wasn't that far, pushing her back to flush to the tree she was on Rey took a few running steps, down the springy end of the branch, and launched herself into the next tree.

The sound was barely heard, and sounded much like something just taking off from the branch fleeing some unseen danger. Rey panted slowly, letting her breath hiss out as quietly as she could as she clung to the branch of the next tree. Up above the forest floor, Rey could actually see where the rabbit had passed, while the track was light, much lighter then Rey's she could see the ever so light vegetation that had been pushed away. Looking out at the next thing to take her away, a thick bamboo tree Rey grinned, and lept onto it, clinging to it with her strengthened arms from all that scrubbing. Holding onto the bamboo with her foot pads and claws and one arm, she sprung out and clawed into the side of a great tree. Leaping from tree to tree Rey found herself above a guard sooner rather then later, one that seemed to be none the wiser to her presence. Staring down at the huge headed fox she watched him as he paced for a moment then started on his rounds. She lept down, there was a fairly large clearing up ahead and snuck through the underbrush towards it using her slim and small body to its advantage like the rabbit. 

"SIR!" called a voice and Rey slipped a bit further back into the undergrowth scarcely breathing. She watched as Ren spoke lowly to that rabbit, who nodded to him, then gestured vaguely out into the forest. It was too quiet to hear, the small village for it was something of a village, was busy. People racing back and forth all wearing darkly colored clothes. Rey glanced up, and found the tree tops full of homes. There were some ladders, one staircase that wound around a truely massive oak tree, and into a just as massive home. While it wasn't huge like the ones Rey was trying to get used to, these were still massive compared to the small huts from her desert home. 

"So," Ren said clearly, breaking Rey out of her looking, she flinched, wanting to draw back and away he was looming over her, a very pleased smile on his face. "Rey was able to follow you?" he asked, the rabbit shifted uneasily. Rey stayed still, if she moved she would be found out. 

"Yes sir." she said stiffly, and with a irritation to her voice. "I was very careful, but she followed me as soon as night fell." 

"Good." he told the rabbit. 

"Good?" the rabbit nearly yelled. 

"Yes good." Rey didn't have time to react when Ren reached down and grabbed her, holding her arms length away. She kicked up her body squirming to get away but she could only hit at him ineffectively with her tail. She thought about trying to hook her claws into him, but he set her down. Everyone glanced to her, a few whispering harshly, and another making a series of movements with their hands. Rey shook herself to stare, no, she fixed him with a glare. "You decided to accept my invitation." he told her smugly. She pulled out the paper and snapped it open to point at the word she didn't know. 

"What is this word?" she demanded trying to sound cross. It came off as a bit hollow, and she shook a bit. The pent up anxiety was softly trickling away, and she could glare fully at Ren for his trickery. He frowned. 

"That is city. The word is city." he stated slowly, and waved off the onlookers. They quickly went back to their duties, leaving Rey and him mostly alone. "How did you get passed the guard?" 

"Trees... I am just that good!" she said haughtily. He laughed, and took her paw gently leading her into the village. The horrible thing was that she allowed it, his paw was warm, and definitely not demon-like.  "Aren't... you a demon?" she questioned. 

"No, that is what we call the leader. The Demon Head." he told her honestly. He stopped at a small training ground, a few people her age, and older were doing various things. All innocent enough. One set of older fellows, were leaping from a sort of upright channel. Going from wall to wall and onto the top were they would either climb down or leap down into a roll. Rey fidgeted to try it, but stayed still finally snatching her paw back. 

"I'm going to beat you!" she told him and took a fighting stance, for a moment all eyes were on here again, but Ren laughed and she flushed in shame body going limp. "YOU lied to me!" she accused lightly holding back tears. "Like everyone else, you... hurt me." He crouched down in front of her and put a heavy paw on her shoulder. 

"I know, that's why I'm trying to make it up to you. I know Master Sky hasn't been teaching you anything. You do want to become strong don't you?" he asked her, Rey trembled a bit but nodded. 

"Then what do you want to try first?" he asked pushing her towards the training ground. Rey gave the whole area a look, and pointed to the channel. He blinked, standing up. "That is a bi-" Rey lept towards it and vainly tried a few times. The older fellows gave Ren a look and quickly took charge of her, guiding her muscles and body out. After one successful scramble she stared down at the ground from the top. "the ladd-" she lept down, in a roll just like they had been doing, and was granted a blast of pain in her shoulder but thing else. "I'm impressed." Ren stated flatly as she panted up at him, a smile threatened to pull at her face but she bit it back. 

"I'm still going to beat you!" she told him, he grinned at her. 

"It wouldn't be-" 

"Demon Ren." snapped a officious voice, Rey startled leaping upwards, in a semi perfect cat to cat up the channel to stare down growling at the sudden and very silent intruder. A red furred ferret, lithe in dark clothes and beady eyes looked up to her and then back. "Do you presume to command my army?" the man asked. 

"MY army. In case you forgot." Ren stated simply back. He waved at Rey to come back down, and this time she used the ladder on the side, the ferret looked down at her with a glare. "This is Rey, she is going to be our spy in the castle." he stated simply. She bristled, opening her mouth then shutting it with a growl. 

"A untrained child?" he asked and scoffed. Rey kicked his shin, and he gasped in pain. "HOW-" he began but dropped off at a glare from Ren. "Very Well Demon Ren. But you do not dictate what the ARMY does or does not do. We will claim the city." 

"Eventually. One must be wary of unknowns." Ren told him back. "After all YOUR solider was captured, MINE was not only successful, but lead our new recruit back." He grinned to the ferret. "SO I suggest, _GENERAL_ , Hux, that you learn your place." he spat out the word general as a distasteful hiss. Hux left in a grumble, leaving the two being stared at by all the others there. Rey glanced to Ren and shifted uneasily. "That was well done, you completed a wall to wall without a scramble." he praised Rey only blinked then smiled at the praise. 

"I... he scared me." she hedged carefully, and he nodded. 

"You'll learn to always be wary, now. What else might you want to learn?" Rey shifted a bit, but the praise is what did it. She wanted to be something more then just a dumb little scavenger, and Master Sky wasn't helping her to be anything else then that. The man before her? He not only guided her to a set of weapons, but started to train her himself with the staff. If he was the head of this place, and training her? That was pride, and Rey had very little to be proud of. It was nearing morning when Ren held a small doll toward her she grabbed it and held it to herself. It was a messy doll, made from fabric scraps, but it was hers, the one she hadn't been able to get back. "I explored that village a bit before I left, and this smelled like you." he told her she darted to him and hugged his leg. He seemed to flinch, but padded her head. "I'll have one of the others take you back to the castle." he told her, and dismissed, Rey nodded, clutching her doll back to her chest as one of the Rhino guards from before let her ride on a massive shoulder back to the castle. 


End file.
